When Seoul and New York Swap Canvases, the Art Market Reveals Its Double Life

As summer faded, the global art scene buzzed on two continents: Frieze Seoul and The Armory Show in New York, now united under one corporate banner but still keeping their own September rhythms. Frieze Seoul, only in its second year, pulsed with high-energy sales—think million-dollar works by Nicolas Party and Georg Baselitz—while The Armory Show leaned into a robust middle market, with steady five- and six-figure deals for artists like Lynne Drexler and María Berrío. Seoul’s fair unfolded alongside the city’s established KIAF, drawing international collectors and spotlighting Korea’s sophisticated taste for both local and global names. Meanwhile, New York’s Armory Show anchored a week of satellite fairs, reaffirming its status as a launchpad for emerging and mid-career artists. Despite whispers of a market slowdown, both fairs delivered upbeat results, proving that art’s value can flex—sometimes quietly, sometimes with a flourish—across borders and price tags. In the world’s art capitals, September is less a finish line than a fresh canvas. #ArtFairs #FriezeSeoul #ArmoryShow